Cash protecting counter, till, etc.



4 July 2.1, 1936. l J. J, MURTAUGH, JR 2,048,195

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT To 4 Sheets-S t l JHUUHW In IMI July 21, 19316. J. J. MURTAUGH, JR 2,048,195-- v CASH PROTECTING COUNTER, TILL, ETC

Filed Dec. 21, 1935 4 sheets-sheet 2 4 '1551,59 5 l Y @ATTORNEY July 21, 1936.

J. J. MURTAUGH. JR

CASH PROTECTING COUNTER, TILL, ETC

Filed Deo. 2l, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheerl 3 lIlly/ly INVEN-roR .M7 @HKLM Q2-ATTORNEY f l I l |||f I..

July v2l, 1936. f` J. J. MVURTUGH. JR

CASH PROTECTING COUNTER, TILL, ETC

Filed Dec. 2l, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR w Mw ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1936 CASH PROTECTING COUNTER, TILL, ETC.

John J. Murtaugh, Jr.,'Floral Park, N. Y., assignor to Mosler Safe'Co., Hamilton, 0h10, a corporation of New York Application December 21, V1935, Serial No. 55,517

12 Claims.

This invention relates to cash protecting counters, tills, etc., such, for instance, as are suitable vide a device which normally houses money, or

otherarticles, for convenient access and handling by the teller, cashier, or other attendant, and which may be caused instantly to transfer the Vmoney or other articles to an inaccessible safeguarded. location and thus prevent loss of the `money or other articles by robbery in the event of 'a hold-up, or other emergency, and to provide a device of the character referred to and*which conserves. and economizes space, which is simple and requires little, effort to manipulate for the transaction of business, and which is provided withmeans controllable at one or more remote or near points, or both, as desired, for safeguard- Ving the contents positively and instantly, and to provide safeguarding means which effectively prevent unauthorized access to the contents when transferred to safeguarded location, and a further object of this invention is to provide a device of thechara'cter described and one which operates quietly, smoothly and without vibration or pounding, and is attractive in appearance. A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described, and one that issturdy and durable and not apt to get out of order.

AOtherfobjects of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. h In accordance with this invention a burglarproof chest is equipped with a front closure or frame that is pivoted at its bottom torock on a -horizontal axis, the closure toward its top carrying'a money'tray which swings out of and into the chest as the closure is pivotally opened there- Afrom and ,closed thereto. The tray is provided with' means whereby a person at a near or rem'ote point, or `at either point, may vcause the contents 'of the trayto falll therefrom into the bottomof the chest and a burglar-proof shield to be interposed above the transferred tray contents; irrespective ofthe pivotal positions of the closure and tray, and means are providedV for preventing access to the contents so protected except by authorized means, such, for instance, ,as'requires the unlocking of a burglar-proof lock,

which if 'desired may be a time lock. By pivotally mounting the money tray to swing into and outfof the chest, not only the space within the "chest butfalso the spacerequired for opening the vg counter and for handling articles therein is conserved and economized. Various operating means, safety means, and other means and features are provided as will appear more fully as -the description proceeds.

In order that a clearer understanding of this invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and illustrating certain possible embodiments of this invention, and in which:-

Fig. 1V is a front elevation of a counter cash protector embodying this invention,certain hidden parts being indicated by dash lines;

Fig.'2 is a side elevation of the protector, open to normal extent;

Fig. 3 isavertical sectional view of the protector, closed, and is taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the device, and is taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, cer- 20 tain parts being shown broken away to expose certain units of the construction;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of a part of the construction, and is taken on the inclined line 5-5 of Fig. 3; *'Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the device, and is taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, the safeguarding protective closure being shown closed;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary isometric view of a de- 30 tail of the restraining means for the money compartment bottom releasing means; and c Fig. 8 is a fragmentary isometric view of one of the protective closure stop and latch blocks and a fragment of the latch.

' Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, there is a burglarproof chest I0, having an open front provided 40 with a closure comprising a frame Il hinged, along! its bottom, as at I2, to the chest and having a door opening fitted with a door I3 hinged, along one side, as at I4, to one side of the frame II. Fixed to the frame adjacent each side edge 45 .is an inwardly extending side plate, I5 and I6, strips I5 and I6 inwardly therefrom and secured thereto, and upright cross-partition members I'I, I8, I9, 20, 2|, and 22 extend between and are secured to these strips, forming 50 three compartments 23, 24 and 25. A plate 26 hinged, as at 21, to wall I'I constitutes the bottom of compartment 23; a plate 28 hinged as vat 29, to wall I9 is the bottom of compartment 24; and a plate 30 hinged, as at 3l, to wall 22 is the 55 slidably Aheld inbrackets 34 secured to side`-plate I6, .and has studs 35, 36, and 31, each pivotally carrying a dog 38, 39, and 40, held upright against stop pins 4I, 42, and 43, therefor, by tension springs 45%, 45,and 46 extended betweeripins,

43, and 48 on the bar and the tails 49, .5 0,-and 5| of the dogs. Dog 38 has a finger 38 :normally seating under a pin 52 extending outside of the side edge of bottom 26 from a bracket 53secured thereto at its free edge; dog'39has1avhger39 normally seating under a pin 54 extending out-f side of the side edgeV ofbottom 28 from a bracket 55 "secured theretoaatpitsjfree edge, and dog 40 has alnger 46 normally-seating undera pin 56 extending outside of the side edge' .ofbottom 38 from a bracket 51 secured thereto at its'free edge. Preferably this arrangement is vrepeated'atthe other sides of the bottoms 26', 28, and 30'to give lthe bottomsibetter support, the sliding'V bar 58,

V`correspcmlding to bar T33, 'being'mounted V on thev opposite'sid'e plate I5.

Means are providedior moving the bars33and 58. vrearv'ardlygto slide'the dog 'fingers fromr under the pins so that the bottomswill swing 4down by gravity and dump the contents of the `con'rpartments into the space beneathfthem. 1f"d' esired, lsuitable checks59, 68,. and.6 I which may beipneumat ic,or of any other suitable type, are connected With the botto-Iris 26,28, and, to'slnc and easetheir fallrwithout, of course, preventing them from opening, yv vhenfr ,eleas'ecl 'from'. the dogs, and dumping thefcontents of thel compartments. ',An'y suitable means maybe providedy for ,shifting the bars 3 3 and 56 tol release the'loottorns,fand 'such imeans may be either manual, mechanical, electrical, or otherwise, as desired. Electrical means fare illustrated, and such as .may bev controlled vfrom-one or moreremotepoints oirfrom anear poi/nner both, as desired. Y

A back plate 62 extends betweenlandis secured .to t l 1e side1plates I'and I6 atlthe'upp'er portions fof theirrear edges and extends. part way `down. A shaft `6 3 is journaledinsuitable bearings V64 `secured to therearofvplate -6Z.v Fixedfto each end of shaft 63 is-a-nger plate, V one of which, 6 5,

seats in a notch 66 provided thereforinslide bar 33the other plate, 61,-seating in asimilarnotch .in the opposite slide l bar 58 vAriarm. 681s ged to shaft 63 near its center, and a spring 69 coiled Aabout the yshaftand :having one end 10 bearing ,against plate 6.2 andithe other end L1 Ifbearing .against arm ,68.continuouslyiurges shaft 63 to rol tate to `slide Ythe bars `33 and5 8 -rearwardlyV and .release the money compartmentbottomsi f1-Iowzever, such 'rotationof shaft63 is normally preventedby a pinor.stud.;12;on armr 68. being engag'ecLb-y a beveled stop shoulder V13 on one vend. of adetentileverzlli pivoted on apin or stud 15 secured-l; to plate 262 and having its opposite ,end

mingbeveledsto-p 13 away andpassing by, which the stud 12 Vwill Vdo as soon a's solenoidvlzis Vde- .1. lenergized' Iand ceases:to 'i resist `such movementpof lever 74; Vand the accompanying movement of shaft 63 will retract slide bars 33 and 58 and cause the dumping of the contents of the money compartments 23, 24 and 25. Y

The solenoid 11 may be de-energized to cause'V dumping of the contents of the money compartments by one' or more suitable circuit breakers (not shown), at near or remote points, and either f 1 manually operable, or otherwise, and properly in-` eluded in -the-'solenoid-Y,circuiti Ifjfsuch' circuit breakers are of the push button type, the circuit f may also be arranged to be broken by arm 63 when it moves upon being released. i This Will conserve consumption of power. As shown, secured VtoiV v plate 62 is a switch block 86 receiving the cable 8l having two conductors, one, 82,.connected With'15 a stationarycontactnger 83 on the block and the Y other, 84, connected to'a resilient contact nger 85 'mounted on the block and normally held against contact 83 by a 'set screw 86 carried on a Y bracket 81 Axed to arm68, and s 'o arranged that 20 when "arm: 6 8' moves from Anormal positionspring contact 85' Will separatew from'` contactf83 and `break the solenoid circuit in which: the conductors Y 'are included,f YA"'blocl' 88 isjsecuredfto plate' 62,1wv power' cable j 89l leading thereto, cable l"81 ileading 2B therefrom as` well as 'cable 98 leading tofsolenoid 1"?, and at which the several conductors j are'coirii `nectedu, Y,

' ,Preferably a stopbraclet 9|"having'a'bumper to limitoutwardswingingofiarm 68.*Tolessen the shock lof arm' 68' againstL the bumper, arm 68V` secured Ito block 86"." j

@The mechanismfand Ycircuitare reset ffrom'Y the .35 l.einerg'encyftojiio-rmal conditionby means of a jl'iandilever" 95,1 pivoted'on a'pin'or stud 96 secured tofplate I6, and" having VVani i en'df`91 seating in a n'otchf 98 inbar `33, and Yrriaybe moved vmanually f tolrnovethe ba`r33 back to: normal 'fpositiom and consequently Vwill move the bart58 4andarn'l 68 Yalso jba'ektoncr'mai positions, whereuponthe cc'ntacts ,8'3'fand1185 willcome togetherarid close the. circuit tosolenod 11,.andstud 12'of'arni68'wil1'seat`bej .hind andi become llocked by the nose 1135 of lever :45 414;"riose 13 havi1'ig a beveled Surface' 'softhatfif solenoid'TI is v.ener'gi'ze-d before stud T12 has passed nose r.13 the Ystud will` displace nose "1 3 sufficiently 1ro' .passby The dogs.ea',f39and anjaeptnus'restored to' normal service" position. 'Theibottoms 26, 28, and 380i the moneyV compartments '23, 24 and .,275 are 4 thenliftedmanually intoth'eir normal service positions', each' pin 52', 54an`d 56 snap'- j z Igin'gir'ito supported position 'on' the fsu'pporting negers gf tn ej res i1ient1y mounted dogsl sa, '39, ip wnipe n teci that the ic tentseftliei money ,compartments .may' be dumped into rthe bottom of the chestirrespectiveof whether 'the rocking, Vf ront andmoney compartmentasfseibly `is c lo^se;d 60 :etQ;.thheSi01;iS` Open therfrdrit any extent. The irontframe I I, Vwith itsfdoo'r I3, 's ervestodfleet articles dumped from themony .compartimav be; overlapped; by ai spring ringer'v plate fsa ments -when',the,frontfis. openfandfif desired. if. 'Y

suitabieeameplates maand 1 ol jmayte'amxedto 65 vvthegdior-.It to-prevent any dumped articles. from fbecomllg Caught [on thevlock case Illl.Y orY other parts Von the rearof thejdoor orfframe'. TQ prevent access to theiarticles@dumpedY Vfo `mebcttoim ofthechest, asndapieltwo'ipie te1e- Y0 scopiccover is providedr toY slide just'iunder the lower edge ofvbackplatelecn tracks' |03 secured .ato the .side platesl 5 and I6 he covercomprisig .alowewlate lnlhaving; .Qrltagtzstrinfl'' T0111 its forward edge, and an upper plate |06 havigr75` .apick'up'st'rip'l 01 under its rear edge. A stand'- ard door closer, |08, is hung on a bracket |09 secured to a bar I I0-extending between and fastened to theun'derlsurfaces of the tracks |03 on plates I and B, and its pusher arm III is pivotally connected to an angle brackethl I2 secured on the top of upperclosure plate |06. Y v

The closureV plates |04 and |06 Vare normally held latched in telescoped relation at the rear ends of tracks |03by the nose ||3fof a latch lever I I4 pivoted on a pin or stud I-'I5'carried on -a bracket I 6 mounted on the rear of plate 62, the

pressed by the bottom'30 of money compartment 25 when it falls, thus pivoting the arm II8 of the bell crank lever out of engagement with heel I I1 of lever I|4, and releasing the closure plate |06 to be pushed forward by the door closer |08. DuringV this forward movement of plate |06, its strip |01 will engagethe strip |05 of the lower plate |04, and both plates, thus extended will be moved by the door closer to the forward end of Vthe (tracks I 03 and will completely close thespace between the front frame and door and the rear plate 62, thus preventing access to articles in the bottom of the chest beneath the closure. Preferably when' the plate |06 reaches the front ends vof Ytracks |03 it becomes latched at each end by spring ngerlatches |25 mounted on plate |06 and which engage stop blocks |26 secured to the 'tracks'to prevent the plates from being pried back against the force of the closer |08. Latches |25 vare only accessible from below the closure plateso that to release the plates it is necessary to open the chest door I3, which is preferably provided with a burglar-proof lock (in case |02) and bolts |21, |28 and |29 engaging the frame II.

V 'Io restore the closure plates |04 and |06 from this emergency to normal position, the bottom 30 [of money compartment 25 is reset into normal position, the latches |25 disengaged from plate |06 'and then this plate is pushed back until the nose II 3"snaps in front of the plate, which it will do because of compression spring |30 pressing y against lever II4, and the arm I|8 of the bell crank lever will snap into abutting engagement with heel |23 of lever I I4, and thus the closure is heldretracted until the plunger |22 is again depressed. Y The door I3 cannot be opened, however, unless door.

the moneyV compartment carrier is closed, since so long as this carrier is not fully closed, a nose |3I of alatch |32 pivoted, as at |33 to the frame II `engages in a hole or recess |34 in the bolt |21 and prevents retraction of the bolts vto unlock the Whentlie compartment carrier is fully closed, a rocking lever |35, pivoted, as at |36, on frame II, and connected to latch 32 by a link |31, is vengaged and so displaced by contact with Va'stop strip |38 on the top wall of the chest as `I4I, pivoted, as at |42, to frame II, follows the bolt down by gravity and seats under'the nose I3I of latchi|32 and keeps link |31 raised and nose |39 engaged behind strip |38, so that the frame I| cannot be opened unless the bolt |21 has been shot to move aside the bar |4I and dispose its recess. |34 in alignment with the latch 5 nose |3I allowing spring |40 to pull link |31 down and lower nose |39 from behind strip |38. Frame II may further be locked to the chest by any suitable lock, indicated by the key |43 and key cylinder |44.

To aid a person in swinging the chest front open, one end of a rod- I 50 is secured to a bracket I5I on each side plate I5 and I6 and slidably extends through a bracket |52 pivotally mounted on a stud |53 secured to the side of the chest, and a compression spring |54 encircling rod |50and compressed between brackets |5I and |52 tends to open the money compartment carrier a certain extent, for instance, so as to place compartments 23-and 24 outside of the chest. Another compression spring I55 encircling rod |50 between bracket |52 and nuts I 56 on the threaded rear end of rod |50 may be provided to resiliently restrain further opening of the carrier and to bring it back to normal open position after the carrier has been opened further by a person, for instance, after having had access to compartment 25. Ihese springs also cushion movement of the compartment carrier and prevent noise and pounding.

If desired,`a spring latch |60 may be mounted on side plate I5 and adapted to snap through an aperture I6| to overlap the edge of the chest side wall to stop closing or inward movement of the compartment carrier at a normal open position,

lbut permitting further opening for access to compartment 25.

Business may be transacted very conveniently and easily with a safely protected till or cash counter having the features of this invention. The cash container is counterbalaneed by springs |54 and |55 so that it may be rocked with little effort to any open position or closed. The till may be held open by spring catch |60 so as to keep the money compartments 23 and 24 open-- from the chest, aiording the attendant open and convenient access thereto, yet allowing the attendant to close the till quickly and easily by pressing the catch I 60 and swinging the till closed. Whenever the attendant wishes to place money in the rear compartment 25, he may easily rock the till outwardly to expose this compartment, and when the till is released it will be stopped automatically by the catch I 60 in the normal open position exposing compartments 23V and 24. When a hold-up threatens, or at any time, th contents of all of the compartments 23, 24, and

` 25 may be dumped into the bottom of the chest instantly by anyone causing the opening of the circuit to the controlling solenoid 11, as by anyone merely pushing one of the push button circuit breakers which are understood to be included in the solenoid circuit and placed at strategic locations in the bank or'other environment in which 65 the till is located. The contents are dumped to the bottom of the chest irrespective of whether the till is open or closed and irrespective of its pivotal position. Also the protecting cover or shield is closed automatically over the contents so transferred to the bottom of the chest, this closure completely closing the space between the front, rearand side plates of the money compartment carrier and becoming automatically locked against displacement, and requiring opening y01575 a carrier having money compartments provided with bottoms hinged to swing to open and close the compartments, said carrier being pivotally mounted on the chest to swing in said opening on a horizontal axis to move said compartments into and out of the chest, a device mounted on the carrier to swing therewith and adjustable thereon to engage and 'hold the compartment bottoms closed and adjustable to disengage said bottoms for opening, setting means mounted on the carrier to swing therewith and engaging said device, normally holding said device adjusted to hold said bottoms closed, disengaging means for adjusting said device to disengage said bottoms when released from the setting means, and operating means adapted to be actuated to disengage the setting means from the device, said de- .vice including a bar slidably carried on the carrier and having sustaining members engageable with said bottoms.

9. A device of the character described, including, in combination, a chest having an opening, a carrier having money compartments provided with bottoms hinged to swing to open and close the compartments, said carrier being pivotally mounted on the chest to swing in said opening on a horizontal axis to move said compartments into and out of the chest, a device mounted on the carrier to swing therewith and adjustable to engage and hold said compartment bottoms closed, and adjustable to disengage said compartment bottoms for opening to dump the compartment contents, setting means mounted on the carrier to swing therewith and engaging said device, normally holding said device adjusted to hold said bottoms closed, disengaging means for adjusting said device to disengage said bottoms when released from the setting means, and operating means adapted to be actuated to disengage the setting means from the device, said setting means including a solenoid-controlled latch mechanism, and said operating means including a switch controlling the solenoid circuit.

10. A device of the character described, including, in combination, a chest having an opening, a carrier having money compartments provided with bottoms hinged to swing to open and close the compartments, said carrier being pivotally mounted on the chest to swing in said opening on a horizontal axis to move said compartments into and out of the chest, a device mounted on the carrier to swing therewith and adjustable to engage and hold said compartment bottoms closed, and adjustable to disengage said compartment bottoms for opening to dump the compartment contents, setting means mounted on the carrier to swing therewith and engaging said device, normally holding said device adjusted to hold said bottoms closed, disengaging means for adjusting said device to disengage said bottoms when released from the setting means, and operating means adapted to be actuated to disengage the setting means from the device, a protective closure mounted on tracks secured to the carrier to swing therewith and slidable on said tracks into and out of protective position over articles in the bottom of the chest, detent means engaging and holding said closure out of said protective position, closing means for sliding said closure to protective position when released from said detent, and a movable trip member for the detent means adapted to be contacted and moved by one of said compartment bottoms when swinging open to trip said detent to release said closure to be closed by said closing means.

11. A device of the character described, including, in combination, a chest having an opening, a carrier assembly including a front wall, rearwardly extending side walls, a back plate extending between said side walls, and money compartments provided by partition members extending between the side walls an-d bottom plates for the compartments hinged to the partition members to swing into and out of position supporting articles in said compartments, said carrier assembly being pivotally mounted at its base to swing on the chest outwardly and inwardly through the chest opening, means mounted on said side plates normally engaging said bottom plates, sustaining said plates in article supporting positions, and means for disengaging said means from said bottom plates to dump the contents of the compartments.

12. A device oi the character described, including, in combination, a chest having an opening, a carrier assembly including a front wall, rearwardly extending side walls, a back plate extending between said side walls, and money compartments provided by partition members extending between the side walls and bottom plates for the compartments hinged to the partition members to swing into and out of position supporting articles in said compartments, said carrier assembly being pivotally mounted at its base to swing on the chest outwardly and inwardly through the chest opening, means mounted on said side plates normally engaging said bottom plates, sustaining said plates in article supporting positions, and means for disengaging said means from said bottom plates to dump the contents of the compartments, a protective telescoping cover mounted on tracks therefor secured to said side plates and extensible and slidable thereon into protective position over articles on the bottom of the chest and collapsible and slidable on the tracks out of protective position, detent means carried on said back plate normally engaging and holding said cover collapsed and out of protective position, and means carried on said carrier assembly to swing therewith and engaging said closure for extending and sliding said closure into protective position when the closure is released from said detent means, and means on said back plate and adapted to be operated by one of said compartment bottoms when said bottom moves out of article supporting position to engage and trip said detent means to release said closure for extension and movement into protective position by said closing means.

JOHN J. MURTAUGH, JR. 

